Madam – The Mayor has lost focus and reality of the entire situation of fraud and corruption.
The first fraud allegation appeared about two years ago in the Advertiser. Educated illustration, rather that of guns and who fired the gun should be used?
Since you had started, let’s continue, in terms of the South African law they are both guilty of an offence. Before you defend the perpetrators, even if they had the intention of committing fraud, they must be disciplined and charged in accordance with the law.
The Deloitte’s report should be more than sufficient evidence to discipline those who are responsible and the Asset Forfeiture Unit should be brought in to investigate. It is quite possible to get away under Zimbabwean law, unless we are allowing our country to decay to the same extent.
Why is that taking so long for the report of the independent auditors to be brought before EXCO and action taken against the accused? Is the municipality not controlled by EXCO or are they covering someone’s back, like the R10.5-m fraud? In any just and civilised society, the corruption would have been routed out long time ago. It is high time for corrupt officials and their cronies to be put behind bars.
If you are representing the people of Newcastle, why are you not safeguarding their interest? For the tender of smart meters to increase to R110-m and to be inflated by R55-m, don’t you think this money can be used to improve lives of the poor and people in the townships?
It seems that the Advertiser is more powerful in routing out corruption than the highly paid officials. For the second tender to go through and get stopped at the final stages, shows signs of maladministration. For something like this to go through so many committees and people, they should all be investigated & disciplined.
Why has Priv Reddy got so much control over this town and why are we indebted to them? Are we blinded by the corruption that they are involved in in the city of Johannesburg?
The Mayor of Rome and Utah go to work on bicycle. It is only Newcastle Mayor and MM who need to have escorted bodyguards. The Attorney General of South Africa travels to work by public transport and no body guards. It is because of the injustice and the atmosphere of corruption and fraud that is sanctioned by them?
It is high time the ANC does something and place a vote of no-confidence in them. If not, we will be like Detroit City Mayor and the city in the 2008 bankruptcy case.
Concerned Ratepayer
Response by Mayor, Afzul Rehman:
Please have the courage of your convictions and sign your name at the end of your letter when u call me corrupt, and then I’ll engage you, maybe!
